The Game of Memory
by HelloKat
Summary: What do I recall of that day? What I remember most of that one man...this man named...? Multipart Oneshot. Usual spoiler on Akito & intro on characters not yet released in the US. Young Yuki, Akito & others!
1. Part I

**Disclaimer:** _My story. Not my characters._

**The Game of Memory  
**_**Part I**_

"All right, guys, be sure to do things that I would do!" cried out Shigure happily while waving them off from his porch.

"**OH, SHUT UP, BAKA INU, BEFORE I KICK YOUR SMART ASS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE!"** yelled angrily Kyo as he pulled Tohru along the walkway away from their home.

Appearing wounded, Shigure clutched his yukata in dismay. "Oh my…such profanity! I only mean to give sound advice to such vivacious teens that have full use of their faculties—"

"Shigure, if you don't shut it, I'll sew that mouth of yours shut. I do have my medical bag with me," murmured Hatori irritably as he stood next to the over-exuberant writer.

"Eh…heh. Right, Haa-san. Mouth is sealed," replied Shigure nervously.

"I'll bring souvenirs for everyone! We'll be back later!" called out Tohru happily, trotting alongside a grumbling teen that pulled her faster along the path out of sight.

"Ah…it's so peaceful with our furry kitty gone, ne Haa-san?" Stretching his arms wide, Shigure went into the house and sat at his low table in the living room. As he pulled out a cigarette, he gave another one to Hatori who also joined him at the table. Lighting their cigarettes, they both breathed in the fumes before completely relaxing.

"So they went to the museum?" asked Hatori calmly while gazing out the back door to the garden outside.

"Aa…supposedly they're meeting Momii-chi and Haa-kun with Tohru-kun's friends up at the bus stop. I personally think that they'll play hooky...hehe," commented the Inu of the Jyuunishi with a sly grin.

"Only you would think that," dryly remarked his companion. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Hatori pulled out a book from his medical bag and started to read where he last left off.

"Mou…Haa-san is ignoring my magnificent presence. Really, Haa-san, that can be considered rude," admonished the writer as he leaned over to glance at the pages the other read. "But I forgive you, as always. What are you reading? That's not one of my creations…"

"I would never read your creations, Shigure," quipped the doctor unemotionally while continuing to read his novel. Lowly commenting to himself, he added, "I think I'd prefer to be shot dead before I even consider it…"

Crocodile tears soon graced the writer's face. "The indignity of it all! If you can't appreciate my fine works of art, then there's no point in going on living—"

"_Shigure…"_ interjected Hatori with a pointed gaze on him, "I only came here because you said you'd let me read in peace with _no_ interruptions. At this rate, I'm better off at Ayame's place."

"Gomen ne, gomen ne, Haa-san," said Shigure repeatedly to placate the stressed doctor. "I am true to my word. Go ahead…read on."

Resuming his reading, Hatori continued his train of thought prior to Shigure's interruptions. However, a quiet Shigure is even more troublesome than a chatty one. With a groan of frustration, Hatori quickly shut his book and turned to face his friend one more time.

"Fine. Just chat quickly so I can get back to my book," consented the doctor irately.

"You are a man's best friend! I am so blessed." Widely grinning in triumph over his predictable friend, Shigure smoked his cigarette one last time before putting it out. "Well, come, come. Tell me how you left the two."

"You take such pleasure in their grief, Shigure?" asked Hatori testily.

"No, of course not," replied Shigure with 'amazement' wringing in his voice. "This is the one and only day out of the year that our dear Yuki-kun is up before the crack of dawn to leave early to the Main House. And to think he goes willingly into the dragon's lair….eh, heh, sorry, I meant the lioness' den."

"Not funny." Sighing heavily, Hatori took one last drag as well from his cigarette before disposing of it. Rubbing his temples to soothe the ache away, he once again stared outside the door, noting how beautiful the spring weather had turned out. Just like that day so long ago…

"It tore them up in the inside and tore them apart on the outside, Shigure." Staring back at the silent writer, he pressed forward with his cutting remarks. "You can't tell me that you actually share in their pain. If I recall correctly, you had the widest smile on that day. You even laughed when she locked Yuki away that very day in _that _room even though he was having serious trouble with his bronchi."

"Gods, Haa-san, you won't let that go, will you?" asked Shigure with an exasperated air. "You know I didn't know then about his bronchial thing until years later when you decided to enlighten me when Aya wasn't around. I would have tried to convince the grieving girl to let him out."

"That 'bronchial thing' landed Yuki in the hospital for _two months_, most of the time on a _ventilator_. It's sheer miracle Shigure that he didn't just die choking on his vomit while locked away in that room! And through it all, you…smiled…" Tearing his gaze away, Hatori tried taking deep breaths to regain his composure once again. Feeling the weight of the words exchanged too heavy to endure in that cramped room, he quickly stood up and walked out to the back veranda.

'_Damn. I do believe I pushed him a little too far. He _was_ the one to find the poor boy in that mess. He was so scarred by the incident that he swore to learn medicine in order to care for him when no one else could,'_ mused idly Shigure as he stared at his best friend march straight out the backdoor. Heaving a sigh of his own, he stood up as well and followed his angered friend out the door.

Hatori finally started to feel at peace once again after breathing in gulps of fresh mountain air. He leaned heavily against the post and slid down to sit with his legs dangling in front. Staring at the beautiful forest that surrounded this home, he vainly tried to block the wave of memories this serenity evoked in him. Wave after wave just kept crashing down on him…

"Gomen nasai, Haa-san," replied Shigure demurely as he sat down next to his pensive friend. "Today is a day of stress for all of us…I didn't mean to make it harder on you. Hmph…it does seem like today is just like that day, ne?"

"Right down to the weather," murmured softly Hatori, gazing blankly at the scenery before him. Closing his eyes to it all, he vividly saw the motions of that fateful day…the laughter…the tears…the screams. And all from a pair of children that were inseparable from each other and from the adult they adored.

Shaking his head to chase away that train of thought, he looked to Shigure wearily. "Look…I'm sorry…for bringing up old memories. I know you're not—"

Halting his remark with a raised hand, Shigure responded with a wry grin. "Please, don't apologize. I do fear that hell can be freezing over at this minute. Then where would we sinners go to then?"

Scoffing at his remark, Hatori leaned back onto his hands as he stared to the towering trees surrounding the lot. "Indeed…where would we go?"

"Ahem, I did mean just me, Haa-san," warmly remarked the inu, glad to see his companion in a more civil mood. Staring straight ahead, Shigure commented softly, "I deserve any 'constructive criticism' you have on that subject, Haa-san. Considering the crime, hell would be too kind of a gesture to bestow on me. Stupidity begets regrets."

"Regrets?" prodded Hatori with a side glance to Shigure.

With a smirk, Shigure turned to him fully. "Yeah, even we sinners regret. Not too many times, but there are those few times that stand above all the rest. Just don't go blabbering it to the world. I do have a reputation to maintain."

Sighing heavily once again, Shigure shifted in his seat to spread his legs out before him. Leaning all the way back so that he laid on his back, he stared listlessly at the ceiling above him. "My childish stupidity knew no bounds back then, ne? But, hey, it did seem like a good idea at the time. _(Sigh)_ Ah well…que sera, sera, you know. Heh, the things I remember…" Turning his head to face Hatori, he asked, "Tell me, what do _you _remember on this fine day years ago, Haa-san?"

Closing his eyes to the serenity around him, Hatori mentally slipped to the far reaches of his mind where he tucked each and every wound away with care. The one he wanted to find was there in front of his very eyes.

"Screams. I heard the screams of innocence ripped away…that's what I remember of the day Akira died."

—_**ooo—**_

Trees full of spring blooms rustled their leaves with the cool breeze in the quiet of the morning. Eerie silence reigned at the Sohma estate, with not so much as a tweet from a passing bird. This silence weighed down heavily on two beings that were outside in the gardens. Everyone else were simply…gone.

A vacant estate…for this one day out of the year, everyone is ordered to leave the premises. Jyuunishi members and their families were no exception. It was that way ever since that fateful day…ever since a small child screamed to the heavens above to bring him back to them…to her.

'_It never fails. Every year, every time, this day would roll around, and it'd always be beautiful. As if the world just laughs in our faces while we grieve.' _And it never failed that every year on this very day, he quietly crept out of his bed in the early hours of dawn and found his way back to the Sohma estate. By the time he arrived, the majority had already left.

As discreetly as was his nature, he avoided the remaining stragglers and went on his way to his destination. Stopping for nothing, he finally came to her house, knowing instinctively where to find her. He found a room that never changed, never moving forward along with time. It remained frozen and dead to the revolving world…much like the person that now sat in there with legs tucked underneath.

"You're late…Yuki."

"Gomen nasai, Akito," replied Yuki softly while standing still at the doorway. "I had worked late last night on a book report."

"Don't dawdle, come here," commanded Akito, unmoving from her position on the floor.

Swallowing inaudibly, Yuki entered the bedroom that had remained the same for many years. Articles on the bureau were never moved, the futon was left out, and the sheets never once rustled from when they were last used, their creases full of dust from misuse.

His normally silent footsteps echoed as he walked across creaking wood floors. Upon reaching her side, he stopped and kneeled down next to her still form. When she said nothing else, he breathed in carefully, afraid that the thick dust in the air would aggravate his sensitive bronchi. Thinking that, he smiled dryly, mentally taking his thoughts back to that fateful day in which he was introduced to _that_ room. He would never forget it, mainly because it ultimately landed him in the hospital for two months.

'_I really scared Hatori that time. Hm…I guess that's why he's so paranoid whenever I miss my appointments with him.'_ Shaking his drifting thoughts away, he brought himself back to the current situation. It was then that he violently sneezed, which mainly consisted of a loud squeak. How he hated to sneeze…it really reminded him of a mouse that got caught under someone's foot…

Akito stared at him from underneath her long lashes, her lock of hair also hiding her face from him. She saw the small smile he had while he looked straight ahead at nothing in particular. As curious as she was to know what he found so amusing, she noted that it wasn't so much as amusement that had a hold of his thoughts. She caught the look in his eye…it was much like hers. Here in the physical sense, but the mind was much too lost in the depths of time of long ago.

'_**You have a special birthright, Akito. You are destined for greatness…'**_

'_**You'll never be alone…I would never leave you to bear this responsibility alone…'**_

'…_**I brought you a very special companion…as is his birthright.'**_

'_**You'll look after them, won't you? They can only be safe with you there…'**_

'_**He's not very strong, my dear…'**_

'…_**never let anyone come between you and your responsibility…'**_

'…_**but he has an inner spirit that will never fade. Take extra care of him…'**_

'_**No one defies the will of the God of the Jyuunishi…'**_

'_**Smile, my dear. I have brought Yuki to you…'**_

She could almost taste the air back then, vividly remembering that she was eating her sweet bread with hot tea. She then caught the sweet scent of him in the air, and so turned to his embrace, allowing the soft scent envelope her completely. It was also the first time that another scent came to her senses…the scent of a fresh winter morning. No other smell from anyone could override the smell of him, so she was intrigued as to whom this new scent belonged to. And loe and behold…the fated meeting was upon her.

'_You still bring him to me, even when you're gone…'_ Closing her eyes to the memory, she quietly remarked, "Go ahead. Open the doors…no need to have you with an asthma attack. Hatori's not around…"

Startled from his reverie, he immediately turned to her, surprised to see her looking blankly in his direction. Nodding in consent, he rose from his seat, and went to open the doors that led to the private gardens outside. The sudden brightness of the morning sunshine cut through the darkest corners of the room, causing his eyes to water.

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly, feeling immediately refreshed. Stifling a yawn, he stretched his arms above him, rubbing his sore neck slightly. _'I must have slept wrong on the pillow last night. I'm never working that late again…'_

Soft rustling next to him brought his gaze to the female next to him. She hardly spoke on this day, merely shuffling around in her ceremonial robes for the dead. She was insistent that he wore the same as well. He was just glad his brother didn't press the matter when he asked him to make him the outfit.

'_He would never know what it's like to be with her on this day. He'd never understand it.'_ Watching her ease down to her knees once again to stare out at the gardens, he softly sighed, kneeling down next to her as well. Still no words have come forth from her, and so he settled himself for the long day ahead of him. They'll eventually get around to doing what they normally end up doing on this day to pass the time away. That is when she's damn good and ready…

'_I wish she'd hurry. The unoccupied mind wanders too much…and I don't want to wander back to those days again…'_ Such feeble thoughts were just that…he knew well enough that on this day he would do nothing else but remember…

Remember who the man was…remember the peace the man always evoked…remember that this remarkable man died on this day many years ago.

Akito shuffled her robes around her so that she now faced Yuki fully. Arching a brow high, she handed him the items she had hidden in her robes. She primly replied, "Well, let's have it…the day does grow short."

Yes…to remember how it all started and how it all ended with this man.

This remarkable man who was Akito's father…Akira.

_**- o – o – o – o - **_

Outside on a rainy day in which no one would be caught in stood a dark-haired man who was unremarkable in appearance. Average height, average weight…many would never think to look at him twice. Yet, his name alone struck respect and reverential fear into many of his peers, which weren't many. That suited him fine…

"Yes, Sohma-san. I came to collect the child today as per the arrangement. Is he ready?" asked the man as he shook off the water droplets from his overcoat. Discreetly he tried to look around the woman before him to see if he could finally catch a glimpse of the young boy he heard so much of. He had always made it a point to give privacy to the families under his charge.

Certainly he remembers the uproar when the young boy was born. It's not every day that the Nezumi of the Jyuunishi was born in such close proximity with the 'God'. It has been many generations of the Sohma line since this had occurred. He was elated to say the least because it meant his most treasured possession now had her lifelong companion, as was meant to be. It was their birthrights after all…

"Akira-sama, I apologize. This child is rather…stubborn!" exclaimed the petite woman in exasperation. "He's hiding away in a closet somewhere. I haven't been able to find him, and with my husband off another trip, that child is unruly, so hard to control..."

"Ma'am! I have him here…he was hiding in the pantry this time," cried out animatedly a maidservant that dragged a struggling child behind her that was dressed in his sleeping yukata. "He was hard to get a hold of, Ma'am. I tried very hard not to touch him too much lest he transforms…"

The woman immediately grabbed a hold of the small boy's wrists, wrenching him from the maidservant's grasp. Leaning down to his level, she seethed in anger, **_"You embarrass me, Yuki."_**

"That's quite enough, Sohma-san," interjected Akira coolly. When she turned to him to voice her protest, she quickly swallowed the remark, taken aback at the sudden hardness in his steel-blue eyes. Walking further into her home, he calmly remarked, "Release him."

She hastily let the child go, and stood back a few steps while she gazed at Akira approach the young boy. Akira kneeled down to Yuki's level, the boy never letting his gaze leave his hands and feet. With a small smile, Akira lifted his hand slowly, softly tilting the boy's chin up. The child's visage was breathtaking…large soft violet/gray eyes with hair color to match. Yet what shone through his eyes is what had stopped his heart momentarily…

'_Indeed. His very essence breathes like molten fire much like Akito's. There is no doubt as to his birthright. And he's very beautiful to boot. He will make a fine companion for her.'_ Widely smiling, he asked Yuki gently, "Ohayo. My name is Sohma Akira. I'm Akito's father. What's your name?"

Yuki immediately ducked his head once more, refusing to voice his name. His mother, tired of his antics and of blatantly humiliating her in front of this influential member of the family, called out to him irritably. **"Yuki, you will answer him, _now!_"**

"_That's enough,"_ stressed again Akira to the bitter mother. He had been informed of her initial reaction to the news that she had birthed the Rat of the Zodiac. _'How fitting…how soon will I be compensated?'_ The callous remark truly brought his blood to a boil, much like now.

Turning his piercing gaze from the mother to the child, he softly replied, "It's okay. You don't have to tell me anything. But you know what? I have someone that's very special to me who wants to meet you. And we're going to have dinner soon, too. I would really love it if you would come with me. Is that okay with you?"

The boy shuffled his feet, his socks rubbing against the hardwood floor of his elaborate home. Tentatively looking over at his mother beneath his long lashes, he pressed his lips firmly together as he anxiously wringed his hands together. Sniffling, he licked his dry lips, still unable to articulate his thoughts. He was almost certain that the man before him was going to strike him for not responding to him quickly when his gaze suddenly caught sight of the hand before him.

'_He's incredibly shy. I'll help him with that.'_ He carefully reached out his hand to the boy in hopes that he'd take it. When the boy looked up startled, Akira tenderly gazed at him. "Yuki, this hand will never strike you. Just take it…it's okay."

Akira's gaze and words finally convinced him. Yuki reached out with a trembling hand and grasped the man's warm hand. Once contact was made, Yuki exhaled slowly, remembering that he must breathe calmly if he didn't want an asthma attack. He already had two this morning, and he was rather wary of getting another one.

Carefully Akira reached out with his other arm and brought Yuki to him slowly. Having the child in his embrace with no struggle from the boy, Akira inaudibly exhaled in relief. Standing up, he shifted the boy carefully in his embrace, careful to not get him wet with his overcoat. He was very pleased to feel Yuki tighten his arms around his neck, his face tucked securely in his neck.

"Well, that settles it." Turning back to the mother, he asked quietly, "Where's his overcoat?"

She looked everywhere else but at him. His gaze bore straight through her as if daring her to speak out of line. She stammered in her response, "He…he's outgrown his. I've not the time to be buying one every other month…"

"Of course not—counting your money is no doubt very time consuming," he curtly cut her off. Hardening his gaze once again, he tightly commented, "I'll be taking my leave now. Do give my regards to your husband. Let him know that I'd like to see him soon. His constant absence is most…troublesome."

Satisfied to see her pompous expression change to that of worry, he turned away from her, smirking to himself at seeing that his words were taken to heart. He expected no less…he had much authority within this elite family, and he'd be damned if they forget that. Smiling down on his new treasure, he wrapped Yuki inside of him so that his overcoat was over the both of them. Pleased to note that the child snuggled even closer to him, he went out of the house and made his way quickly to the car waiting for them. The chauffeur opened the door, and once inside, he pulled Yuki to his lap.

'_This boy is much too beautiful to be male. His name suits him…he's a perfect match to Akito.'_ Smiling brightly down on him, Akira remarked, "Once we arrive home, I'll take you to the room you can stay in whenever you're with us. You can change out of your yukata there. We can add whatever you like to the room…toys, pictures, games…how would you like that?"

Wide eyes stared back at him, clearly showing him how stunned the boy was. The boy then looked away to stare out the car window. He was a little saddened that the boy still wouldn't show any inclination to interact with him. _'I guess the meeting with Akito will have to wait. He's just too shy…I'm afraid she might scare him…'_

"Yuki."

"Eh?" he asked as he looked down on the boy in surprise. _'Did he just tell me his name? I had thought so…'_

"My name…" quietly replied Yuki while clearing his throat. Sniffling some, he repeated himself, "It's Yuki. I…I like…peaches."

'_Soft and clear as a bell…even the sound of his voice is mesmerizing.'_ Smiling with relief, he quickly responded, "Do you now? Well, I'll be sure we have plenty of those so you can have some once you've eaten dinner. Thank you for telling me…Yuki."

"Arigato gozaimasu…Akira-sama," softly thanked Yuki with a low bow of his head.

Arching his brow at this, Akira grasped Yuki's chin gently, bringing it back up to meet his kind gaze. "For you, it's Akira. And don't ever bow to me…you bow to no one. Okay?"

With widened eyes the boy regarded him silently for a few moments before nodding his head in understanding. Slightly smiling, Yuki turned away from his gaze and nestled himself further into his embrace, seeking warmth that he knew existed within this kind man. Perhaps this time it will all turn out for the best…

Akira couldn't have agreed more.

—_**ooo—**_

"I wish you'd stop scowling so, Shigure-kun. It doesn't suit your nature," remarked Akira with a heavy sigh as he leaned against the railing of the high walkway, never once removing his gaze from the two frolicking children below him with their chaperone.

"Akira-san…it's been four months," replied Shigure softly while struggling to keep his visage neutral, no matter how irked he actually was. "Summer has come and gone, and I'll soon be entering school again. I never got a chance to be with her for even a day…"

Akira draped his leg across the railing and leaned against a post. Breathing in deeply, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound of the breeze brushing against the leaves of the towering trees. It was his way of gaining the serenity he would require whenever this subject was brought up, especially with the Inu of the Jyuunishi. It's not like this is the first time…

"Shigure-kun, I've already explained this matter to you and the others. Your best friends, Hatori-kun and Ayame-kun, are more than satisfied with the situation. Why do you persist?" As he questioned him, Akira's eyes opened to look out to the gardens once again, absently wondering if the children's chaperone remembered to give Yuki his medicine. Unlike many who would isolate the sickly child once he had his attacks, Akira did the opposite. He would encourage the young boy to be outside with Akito, albeit with special care, and have him be free from the confines of his room.

'_He's a child, not a plague to keep hidden away.'_ Rubbing his neck from the tension created from thinking these distressing thoughts, he turned to look at the young teen that had grown silent once again. It was often that Akira caught the Inu with a pensive air to him as he looked at Akito grow apart from him. The wistful gaze the teen held then, only to be replaced with a frown when his eyes settled on the Nezumi. Hence why Akira insisted that Shigure no longer visit with Akito…

"Shigure-kun, I can't have you or anyone else upset the delicate balance between those two right now," he pressed on, trying to come up with a new way of reasoning with the boy.

"I won't cause any trouble, Akira-san!" insisted Shigure while stepping forward to the usually laid-back adult. Staring back at the floor, Shigure stumbled in his thoughts as he tried to convey his greatest wish to be once again by her side. "Akira-san…she's who she is. I want to be there for her…with her…as she grows to become so much more than she is now. I was there for the first few years of her life…do they mean nothing to you?"

Heaving a heavy sigh, Akira got down from the railing and stood tall before the smaller teen. Leveling his piercing gaze at him, Akira decided that it was best to be plain with this one. There was just no way around it.

"I appreciate all that you've done for her in those first few years, Shigure-kun. Your devotion is equal to none, and I couldn't have asked for a better _chaperone_." Pausing slightly as the last word he emphasized sunk in, he continued. "But your presence is now more of a deterrent than an aid. And until I feel otherwise, you will keep your distance."

Clenching his hands into fists, Shigure exhaled shakily while trying to control his desperation. Speaking lowly, he persisted, "Akira-san, the little boy…he's just…not—"

"Careful with finishing that remark, Shigure-kun. I will not allow for anyone, even you, to degrade the position the Nezumi of the Jyuunishi holds in this family," cut in Akira none too delicately if the hard gaze he was bestowing on Shigure was anything to go by. Advancing on the silent teen with sure steps, he paused just in front of him, mere inches separating the two males.

Shigure immediately bent his head in submission, clearly aware of his error in pressing this matter further when Akira had already made his decision. "Akira-san…gomen nasai…"

"Look at me."

With the command said, the teen tentatively looked up to his superior, noting how the steel-blue eyes of Akira burned with determination. Shigure licked his cracked lips nervously, and held his head up to face whatever Akira would bestow on him next.

"It's important that you understand the birthrights that each of you have. They are all equally important to me. I respect and defend each of your birthrights to the best of my ability. It only stands to reason that I would be very peculiar with the birthright of my own daughter, your 'God'." Glad to see that the young teen was hanging onto every word uttered, he pressed on.

"Akito is my most cherished treasure, and not because of her position in the Jyuunishi circle. She's _my_ _daughter_…my only child. She's too precious to have the _world _taint her with their _filth_…" He then wretched his gaze from the teen and focused on the trees next to the walkway, seeking to soothe the bile that was rising in his throat as he thought about the 'world' he referred to.

'_He knows our family all too well,'_ mused Shigure silently as he watched the adult male regain his composure once again.

Looking back at the expectant eyes of the teen, Akira sadly smiled. "It's not that I don't have faith in your devotion. It's just that _you_ can't be what she _needs_. It's not within _your _grasp…_your position_. Like you said, _she_ is who _she_ is. And _you_ are who _you _are. You _can't_ be someone you're not. You _can't_ be the Nezumi…you **_can't_** be Yuki."

Breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly, Akira looked out to ground below them, finally realizing that the children were already inside. Knowing that this usually meant that Yuki couldn't stay out any longer, he briskly walked past Shigure who made no move to follow or even budge from his spot. Taking the forlorn form of the Inu, Akira shook his head in dismay…he honestly never meant to be so blunt.

"Shigure-kun, if you care for her like you say, then support me on this. He may appear weak, vulnerable even, but having Yuki by her side will benefit her greatly and ultimately our family. He's much stronger than many give him credit for…I can see it clearly in his eyes." Akira turned to the doorway into the house and paused momentarily. _'Yes…the Nezumi of the Jyuunishi will help his 'God' with the handling of this troublesome family. I have great faith in that…they will both see to the future of this clan long after I'm gone.'_

"I will not abide insubordination, not from anyone outside the family and especially not from within, including you. You can either help me guide them both in the right course their lives as Sohma will take them, or you can stand aside. Should anyone interfere, I will do all that I can to defend the birthrights of the Nezumi and 'God' of the Jyuunishi…" He let his comment trail, knowing full well that Shigure understood the implications clearly. Lifting his eyes to see over his shoulder to the teen still in the same position, he softened his voice and replied gently, "Do what you will, Shigure-kun. My only hope is that in the end, you regret none of the decisions you make."

Akira walked away into the dark pitches of the darkened home, aware only then that it was late in the day. It will be dusk soon. He idly wondered when the days would become shorter…it should be soon…

"Take it slowly, Yuki. Breathe easy for me."

The soft spoken remark made Akira realize that he was already upon his intended destination. He saw that Akito was quietly sitting next to Yuki with an anxious expression clouding her angelic face, holding his hand in comfort while their chaperone sat on the other side, rubbing in soothing motions on the distressed boy's heaving back.

'_This makes four times…'_ Clearing his expression of his worry, Akira called out kindly, "Kureno-kun, how are things here?"

Before Kureno could respond, Akito quickly let go of Yuki's hand and lunged herself into her father's waiting arms. "Tou-sama! Where were you? Yuki is feeling ill again…make him better, Tou-sama! Make him better…"

Akira smiled tenderly at his daughter who was now on the verge of tears. She had taken to Yuki very quickly and easily, and quite doted on the young boy whenever she could. The only other one she acted the same way with was Shigure, but even then it wasn't to this extent. She took to heart his words to her on that day she was introduced to Yuki. And nothing else seemed to matter to her since then…

"Dry those tears, my precious," softly pleaded Akira as he gently wiped her tears away with the back of his hand. "Go to Yuki and be with him, okay? I'll take care of the rest."

His words were golden to her and she immediately went over to console Yuki and let him know that her Tou-sama will take care of everything like always. With a gesture of his head, Yuki let her know that he understood what she had said. Grinning happily, she pulled him into her embrace, her head resting on his shoulder as she patted his back while his heaves subsided bit by bit.

"Kureno-kun, please come," replied Akira quietly so as not to alert the younger children of his own concern. He looked directly into the soft eyes of the Bird of the Zodiac and whispered, "I want you to go see the family doctor, and let him know that I will arrive shortly with Yuki."

"Akira-san, he may not be there since it's a Saturday night," pointed out Kureno, his worry evident in his tone.

"If he's not there, have him summoned. Should anyone question it, have them see me directly. I will stand for no excuses from anyone. Go," he replied firmly to the teen, his tone and gaze like that of a man with great authority…which he was.

Watching the teen bow lowly and then walk away briskly, he called out to him, "Kureno-kun…thank you for looking after them. You take care of them very well."

Kureno had turned around when Akira called out to him. And nothing felt better than hearing praise from this kind but firm man. He had doubts about his duties to care adequately for the children, particularly Yuki. He saw now that these doubts were unfounded…Akira was even grateful. So with all the more reason he will rush out to find their family doctor and fulfill his duty as was entrusted to him. After all, to be allowed to personally care for the welfare of the Nezumi and 'God' was an honor amongst the family. And he would forever cherish this honor…

Seeing the teen retreat hastily to ready the doctor, Akira turned back to his younger audience. He was pleased to see that although Yuki's face was flushed and was still slightly sweating, he was looking much better than a few minutes ago. Yuki smiled tremulously in his direction as he continued to struggle to breathe easily.

"You are looking much better already, Yuki. Let's sit here a bit, okay?" Settling himself down to the floor, he turned his attention to Akito then. "Come here and sit with your old father, precious."

"You're not old, Tou-sama," immediately remarked the young girl as she scrambled to his side, Yuki joining her as well. It was rare that they didn't mimic the others actions…

"Hehe, well, older than you, ne?" teased the father as he wrapped his arms around both children. With a twinkle in his eye, he mischievously asked, "Bet you can't guess what I have in my robe?"

"Eh?" asked Akito bewildered while Yuki voiced the question through his watery eyes. "Your…robe? Let me see!"

As expected, Akito went through the pockets of his yukata excitedly until she produced the object in question. She happily laughed but then frowned. "Tou-sama, what is this?"

Chuckling lowly, he reached out to the item and explained to her. "These are called cards. And you use them to play with. Look at the shapes of animals on these."

"Wow, look Yuki! They have the signs of the Jyuunishi…they look kawaii!" remarked Akito merrily as she perused through the whole deck. Confused at what she saw this time, she asked, "Tou-sama, why are they two of each? That's strange…"

"Of course it isn't, Akito. This card game is different." Shuffling the deck in his hand, he laid them all out face down. With that, he turned to cards over. "You see…the point of the game is to find the match of the card you first flipped over. You gather these matching pair. If they don't match, you flip them back down. The one with the most pairs wins the game. Now you try, then Yuki."

Ecstatic at being taught a new game, she looked to her father with utmost admiration. Smiling widely, she turned to Yuki who was also excited about the new game. Although his visage was that of fatigue, she could easily see through his luminous eyes how much he anticipated playing this game. It was a gift she developed to be able to read the normally quiet boy.

"Okay! Let's see how many we get, Yuki!" She frantically flipped her cards over, but was disappointed to see that she didn't get any matching pair this time around. Pouting slightly, she flipped them back down. "Okay, your turn."

Yuki's eyes lit up, and he slowly reached out to turn his cards over, with no match as yet. Flipping them back gently, he turned to Akira and smiled, waiting to see which cards the adult will turn. Akira made his move and found no matching pair either.

The game went on for a while, the two children so engrossed in the game until it ended and started again. All the while Akira had slowly eased Yuki onto his lap, very aware of the fact that the poor boy was indeed worn out from his latest bout with the inability to breathe.

He had wanted to take the children's minds off of Yuki's dilemma as it would only worry them needlessly. He knew that he needed to end this game quickly, but he extended it for as long as he could, knowing that this game relaxed Yuki further, and so hopefully, the boy wouldn't become too upset when he finds out that he'll need to see the doctor tonight.

'_What this boy has to go through at such a young age…'_ mused forlornly Akira as he gently rubbed the boy's back, further relaxing him into his chest.

"Tou-sama, is he better now?" asked Akito in child-like wonderment.

"Hm?" Looking down on Yuki, he noticed that the little boy had drifted off to a light nap. Smiling down tenderly, he smoothed the damp bangs from his face, absently noting that his breathing was still a bit erratic but smooth. "Hai. He's much better…but we'll take better care of him in a few minutes. Do you want to come?"

"M-hm," she nodded happily, knowing that her father was planning on taking Yuki to the family doctor. It was only right since the doctor made things much better…so her father says. "Hehe, I told Yuki you'd take care of us. You always take care of us, Tou-sama."

Such faith and trust…such precious treasures he cherishes. "That I do, precious…and I hope that I always will."

—_**TBC—**_


	2. Part II

**Disclaimer:** _My story. Not my characters._

**The Game of Memory  
**_**Part II**_

"Hm…hm-hmmmm…hmmm…AHA!" Gleefully holding up two cards, Akito called out triumphantly, "I win!"

Sighing softly, Yuki turned his cards over and weakly smiled. They had both been playing this game for the last hour in his room. As much as he wanted to pay attention to the card game he normally enjoyed, he was rather tired today. The night before he had been wheezing and coughing phlegm throughout the late hours, keeping many a maidservant on his/her toes. Akira had been pretty adamant that he not get any sicker than he already was...

So here he remained in bed with a stubborn cold. They were passing the time away with the deck of cards Akira left Akito with, and thus far, she was taking full advantage of winning most of the games. Not that he minded in the least…her smiles always cheered him up.

"Akito-sama, please child!" implored a maidservant at the doorway to Yuki's room. "You must leave Yuki-sama's bedroom! The boy is sick and could pass the illness to you!"

"Oh, be silent, Kei," remarked Akito flippantly as she frowned at the maidservant's direction. "I'm my own master, and if I want to be here, I will. Now go…fetch us some hot tea or something."

Turning her back on her, Akito rolled her eyes and giggled quietly. Yuki saw over his shoulder that the maidservant was about to persist when he immediately shook his head at her, silently conveying to her not to press the matter any further. Seeing two superiors (albeit children but nonetheless her superiors in the family) give her specific orders, she relented silently and bowed her head in submission.

Yuki quietly let out a sigh of relief. As much as the maidservants sometimes were a bit uppity with them (heck, even he knew that it was strange for a grown-up to obey the orders of a child), he didn't like to see them get in trouble. Turning to Akito, he did voice his own concern about her being in his room.

"Akito, is it okay…for you to be here? I don't want you to get sick again…" he softly replied, recalling her last illness, and how it left her very lethargic. While she did recover from her illness with no problem, he had been unable to shake his off.

"Oh, not you, too!" pouted Akito. Wrapping her robes tightly around her, she shuffled the deck of cards once again. "I'm fine. Just peachy…hehe, that reminds me, I brought some in this basket down here. We can eat it later, okay?"

His eyes quickly lit up at the mention of his favorite fruit. "Hai! Do you want to play another game then?"

Stopping in mid-shuffle, she tapped her finger on her chin, giving serious thought to his question. Shaking her head, she tucked the cards back into her robes. "No, let's stop. Now scoot over, I'm getting in…it's cold out here."

Smiling happily, he pulled down the blankets and scooted over towards the wall. Akito quickly tucked herself in and pulled up the blankets around them. Shivering slightly, she rubbed her feet and hands together to warm them up. At seeing this, Yuki took her cold hands into his warm ones and rubbed them 'til they were as warm as his.

"Brr…it's getting colder. I don't like the cold." Chattering her teeth a bit, she finally felt the warmth of the covers and of Yuki's warm body heat. Feeling his head with the back of her warmed hand, she noticed that his temperature was a bit on the high side, but didn't say anything about it. The doctor was supposed to come in later, so she'll wait to tell him then.

"I like snow…and I like it when it snows. It's really pretty," replied Yuki demurely. Keeping his hands clasped on hers, he asked, "What do you like about winter?"

"Snowballs…snowmen…the smell…" she trailed in her remark.

"The _smell_?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, silly goose. Everything has some sort of smell…so does winter. Can't you tell?" she explained as if it were common knowledge. "_You_ smell like winter…didn't you know?"

"Hehe, that's funny," he remarked with a grin.

Laughing lightly, she grinned in return. She then widened her eyes when she suddenly realized what next month was. "Yuki, I almost forgot! We have the New Year's party next month! It's going to be so much fun! We'll see everyone there and there's going to be lots of food and candy…"

"I like candy," eagerly replied the excited boy. Coughing behind his hand, he sniffled some before continuing, "We get to see the _others_, too. _(Pause-whispers) _I wonder if Nii-san will be there…at the banquet."

Yawning, she lazily rambled, "Well, of course he'll be there. Tou-sama had said that we'll get to sit next to each other at the banquet, too! We can play while the guys play around…Shigure will be there, too! Maybe he'll want to play with us."

"Mmm…" mumbled Yuki silently through half-closed eyes. Feeling extremely comfortable hearing her gentle voice, he snuggled closer to her. "Ne, Akito, will Kyo be there, too? I can't remember if he was there last year…"

"Of course not, silly," admonished Akito gently. Rubbing her hand over his, she yawned once more before continuing. "Remember…he's the Cat. Cats are never allowed at the banquet. Tou-sama said that it was not _(yawn) _his place to be there. Or something like that…"

"Oh…" By now, he felt the lids of his eyes too heavy to stay open, and so let them fall shut. With that, his breathing evened out with the occasional sniffle or cough.

She herself couldn't stay awake for much longer, seeing that her one companion on this day was now taking a much needed nap. She could have tried looking for her father to see what he was up to, but in the end, she felt too comfortable lying next to Yuki.

'_Funny little boy,'_ she thought languidly while tracing his facial features. _'But he does have the best colored-eyes. Mine are too plain.' _Laying her head right next to his, she smiled softly and closed her eyes to the world, thinking of all the many things they'll get to do and see and eat at the Jyuunishi banquet next month.

What seemed like mere moments were actually a couple of hours. Akito sleepily glanced at the clock next to Yuki's bed and noticed it was a few hours later from the time she had slept. _'I must still be getting better…I don't feel as tired anymore. I wonder if Yuki…'_

Her train of thought came to a screeching halt.

"Yuki?"

The empty spot next to her where her companion once was felt quite cold, indicating that he'd been gone for a while. Wide-awake now, she turned around in her covers, blinking the sleepiness from her eyes. The room was empty with no indication that anyone had been there.

'_Weird. Where could he have gone? Hmph…he's supposed to be in bed,'_ thought Akito in grumpily. _'I'm going to tell if he doesn't get back here now. Oh, maybe he's in the restroom.'_

Quickly shedding the blankets from her legs, she slipped into her warm slippers and walked out of his room down the corridor. Eerie silence met her all around…not even a maidservant could be seen. She made her way to the restroom only to find it empty. Growling in annoyance, she started marching up and down the hallway, glancing into each room to see if there was any sign of the sickly boy.

"Yuki, where are you? _Yuki…_" she called out with growing impatience. Placing her hands on her hips, she replied loudly, "Yuki, if you don't show up, I'm going to tell Tou-sama that you got out of bed for no reason. We're going to have dinner soon…Tou-sama will be here, too!"

Silence.

It was then that she started to worry, if only slightly. _'He knows we get our dinner in our rooms when we're sick. He can't have needed anything…he always asks me first and makes me ask for him.'_

No maidservants close by like normal, no Yuki nearby either. She gasped in shock.

'_What if he got so sick that they took him away to the clinic without waking me? That's absurd…I'd have felt it if they were running around with him. It's not like they can touch him anyway. And they wouldn't just leave me here…not without asking my permission to take Yuki away. This is too strange…'_

Not liking being kept in the dark with regards to Yuki, she immediately set out to the clinic. If he'd be anywhere, it'd be there. And then she'll give those foolish adults a piece of her mind. No one took Yuki away from her…

With as large a stride as she could make with her short legs, she made good timing reaching the personal clinic of the Sohmas which was only a few corridors down the way. Finally reaching there, she opened the doors with a flourish and looked around at all the adults scampering about.

Standing to her full height with head held high, she called out loudly, "COULD SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE IS YUKI?"

Several of the adults could only gape at her before one stepped forward with a low bow to her. "Forgive us, Akito-sama, but right now we're in the middle of…something else. Last we checked, Yuki-sama was in his room and he—"

"I _was_ in his room the whole time up 'til now, and he's not there," snapped Akito irritably. "He's _gone_. Now, WHERE DID YOU TAKE HIM?"

"I…uh…eh…we don't have him, Akito-sama," nervously replied the adult who was now wringing her hands together. "Perhaps the boy wandered off elsewhere. He may have just grown tired of being confined to his quarters—"

"You know nothing about Yuki!" Akito cut in once again. With a piercing gaze that mimicked that of her father's, she lashed out, "If you did, then you'd know that he'd never just 'wander off'. Now, if you can't give me an intelligent answer to my question, then FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN!"

"Akito-sama, please forgive her," called out another woman as she bowed low to her young mistress. "She is new and isn't aware of Yuki-sama's habits. We will look for him as well—"

"What do you mean 'as well', Maika? Explain yourself," snapped Akito, impatient at the runaround they were giving her. She would never, ever show them any weakness…any flaw in her authoritative demeanor. To do so would undermine her position as 'God', no matter how worried she actually was at the moment.

"Akito-sama? Were you not informed?" asked the woman aghast. With an immediate bow of her head, she quietly remarked, "_She's_ missing…Ren-sama."

And thus her world became still and silent with just that one word.

Hardly sparing the adults a glance, she ran out the door at a speed that was only attributed to her youth. She gave nary a care as to how the maidservants and others were gawking at her as she ran down countless corridors. It all blurred into one mesh of utter insignificance.

The heavy breathing…the burning in her chest…the pain at her side for not breathing in enough…all that was ignored as she tore down the hallways in search of that one individual that always set things right.

'_Tou-sama…Tou-sama…TOU-SAMA!'_ Frantically searching each room or porch she came across, she mentally cursed (Shigure did take care of her before) at the size and length of the Sohma estate. _'At this point, I'll never reac—'_

"TOU-SAMA!" cried Akito frantically as she rushed outdoors when she saw her father speaking with another man that she gave little care to at the moment.

Akira turned around to see his daughter rushing at him with worry etched into her face. _'She hardly ever worries about anything…damn these servants. I told them not to bother her with Ren's disappearance. Ren does it often enough that's it's no news…there was no need to worry Akito…'_

Akira turned to his companion with a small smile and bowed slightly in apology. "Kazuma-san, let's speak of this at a later time. I'm sure we can come to an agreement on the expansion of the dojo."

"Yes, of course, Akira-san. Give my regards to your daughter," replied Kazuma, understanding that now was not the best time to discuss business when clearly there was something amiss with Akito.

As he watched Kazuma walk off, Akira turned to find Akito now upon him. She launched herself into his arms and panted hard into his chest. Worried that she may become ill with her running around in the cold so soon after getting over her last illness, he wrapped her loosely into his own heavy overcoat.

"Akito, you know better than to be running around like this," he admonished gently while rubbing her back in soothing motions. "Now, tell me wha—"

"SHE TOOK HIM! SHE DID!" she screamed into his chest. Looking up wild-eyed, she cried out again, "I KNOW SHE DID, TOU-SAMA! I CAN'T FIND HIM! HE WAS THERE AND THEN HE'S GONE AND THEN THEY TELL ME SHE'S MISSING! TOU-SAMA, SHE TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME! I KNOW SHE DID!"

Grasping her trembling head firmly, he pierced through her hysteria with his commanding tone, "WHO…WHO TOOK WHO?"

"_HER_….that…that WOMAN!" cried hysterically Akito as she clutched to his collar securely with her tremulous hands. Breaking down with heaving sobs, she wrapped her thin arms around his neck securely, burying her face into his neck. "We…we were asleep _(sniffle)_ in his room. And I woke up…_(sniffle)_…he…he was gone. Yuki wasn't there anymore. _That woman took him…_"

He immediately understood whom she referred to with remark. _'Ren? Why on earth would she just take the boy? Unless…'_

"Akira-san, you have Akito with you," was the unexpected comment from behind him. He turned to see Kureno heaving heavy pants, puffs of steam coming from him in steady beats.

"Akira-san, I had went to check on them after my lessons and didn't find them anywhere in your home. I'm glad you have Akito with you, but…where's Yuki?" asked Kureno apprehensively as he looked all around him, half-expecting to see the diminutive child hiding from him. _'That can't be so…he's been sick for the past few weeks…he wouldn't be out here…'_

"KURENO!" cried out the girl in Akira's arms as she tried wiggling out her father's solid grip. Seeing that her father wasn't about to let her down in the cold snow, she settled for just yelling her answer to his question. "HE'S GONE! SHE CAME AND TOOK HIM, I KNOW IT!"

"She? Who could have…" trailed off Kureno's comment as he realized whom she was referring to. Turning his stunned gaze to meet Akira's own, he knew then that it was true. And it really shouldn't have been such a shock…

"THAT STUPID, _STUPID _WOMAN! SHE HATES ME…SHE ALWAYS DID! NOW SHE TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME!" cried out bitterly Akito with tears of rage falling down her flushed cheeks. "BUT I WON'T LET HER HAVE HIM! _HE'S MINE! _SHE CAN'T HAVE HIM!"

"Ssshhh, it'll be all right. She's not going to take him away from you," Akira soothingly called out to her as he tightened his embrace on her, which she immediately responded to with a tightening of her grip around his neck. Gazing into her tear-streaked face, he calmly replied, "Do you trust me, Akito?"

Nodding her head in the affirmative, he wiped her tears away as he took her down to Kureno's waiting arms. "I want you to stay with Kureno-kun, and wait for me at the clinic."

"NO! I WANT TO FIND YUKI!" she yelled exasperated that now her father was keeping her from her personal companion.

"I WILL bring him to you, Akito. But right now, I need you out of the cold and indoors," he replied firmly, his tone brooking no room for argument. Seeing her face dejected as she relented, he kissed her softly on the nose. "Trust your father, okay? I'll see you in the clinic shortly _with _Yuki."

She watched forlornly at her father's quickly retreating back while Kureno carried her back indoors. She tiredly laid her head against his shoulder and mumbled too softly for Kureno to make it out.

"I'm sorry, Akito, I didn't hear," replied Kureno quietly. It would do her no good to see him worried as well…especially since he knew how Ren could be.

"He'll…he'll be afraid," murmured Akito softly, too worn out to elaborate further.

Kureno however didn't need to hear any further explanation. And she was right…Yuki would be frightened to be in the presence of a stranger. The boy was incredibly shy and hardly ever saw anyone else or spoke to anyone other than Akira and Akito. He would literally freeze up in a stranger's presence. And with his current condition, Kureno just grew more anxious with every moment passing him.

_'If Ren truly tries to hurt Yuki, I don't even want to imagine how Akito would react…'_

This thought was also shared by the adult male who was blasting out orders to everyone he came across. The orders were simple: Find Ren and Yuki. Yet what truly had them falling over each other to complete this task was the cold gaze he leveled at each one of them. Never had they seen the normally levelheaded man in such an anguished state. Of course it came to their attention then that Yuki was also missing, implying the worst of their fears…Ren had taken Akito's companion.

That's one rule they never broke…to do so would be to trespass the 'God' of the Jyuunishi. And that was highly unforgivable…

Akira repeatedly cursed himself for allowing this to happen. Ignoring all the aghast faces he came across after giving them their orders, he swiftly went from one room to the next, checking every closet, every chest, every armoire in hopes of getting a clue as to where Ren had hidden herself and Yuki. She's pulled this disappearing act so often that he hardly worried about it anymore, content to know that many servants were out looking for her and would eventually apprehend her.

He was still shaking from shock at what Akito had told him. She was right, of course, but still, he'd never had guessed that this time around that Ren pulled her stunt again, she would have taken Yuki with her.

'_Damn her. DAMN THAT WOMAN.' _Seething quietly with barely restrained anger, he barked out the same order to the two servants cleaning the gardens as he went out to cross to the next building. Resuming his search, he reeled in his anxiety and breathed in heavily to calm his nerves. It was then that he realized why she would have done such a thing…

'_I can't believe I've forgotten.'_ Stilling in his stride, he shook his head in utter amazement of how careless he had become. "She wanted to meet the Nezumi ever since his arrival. She kept asking for him to be brought to her…one of the maidservants had told me this. I can't believe that I've forgotten that!"

"AKIRA-SAMA!"

Turning to see a maidservant huffing and panting, the servant pointed in a different direction than where he was going. "There…_(panting)_…over there. _(Swallows audibly) _She has locked herself _(panting)_ in the storage room…upstairs in the fourth wing of the…second building from here. _(Breathing heavily)_ We can't open it!"

Sighing in relief, Akira went off in that direction, calling over his shoulder, "Bring the doctor over to the room…NOW! And have him bring Yuki's medication. HURRY!"

As he hastened his pace to the building Ren hid herself in, he barged through the long, winding hallways, following the sound of commotion overhead. Rushing up the stairwell, he encountered a horde of people just crowding the narrow hallway that was seldom used, cobwebs and dust covering everything.

"STAND ASIDE," he yelled above all the hubbub. Immediately many within the crowd dispersed and allowed him passage to the locked door. He walked through them, his hard stare boring a hole into the door, willing it to be opened. As he arrived, he tried shoving the door open with no success as well.

Narrowing his eyes at the closed door, he turned around and addressed the remaining stragglers who were wishing to help. He replied quietly, "Go downstairs and wait for the doctor to arrive. Have three men escort him upstairs. Go."

They hurriedly rushed down the hallway and down the stairwell as per his instructions. Glad to see them now out of the way, he breathed in heavily as he squared his shoulders, bracing himself for the inevitable confrontation.

_(Knock, knock)_ "Ren, it's me. Open this door right now," replied Akira softly. Noting the pervading silence, he called out again, "Ren, everyone has been sent away. Let me in. I know you wish to speak with me. Let's do this face to face…open this door."

He held his breath amidst the continuing silence. He would hate to call in anyone to tear this door down, certain that it would only aggravate her and possibly cause her to react violently towards Yuki. No, he couldn't risk the boy's safety that way…

_**(CLICK)**_

Eyes widening, he calmed his beating heart when the door was unlocked from the inside. He tentatively reached out and slid the door open very quietly. The storage room certainly was dusty and unused, a small window shedding light into the small room. It was freezing in here due to the window being left open. He looked around calmly, not once giving himself away that he was frantic with worry.

'_I don't see him…I don't see him here. Where could he be?' _Letting his stoic gaze rest on the woman in the room, he coolly walked in, stopping just short of a foot from her. "Ren…how are you?"

She smiled widely as she sat in her chair, wrapping her heavy robes a little more snugly to her body since the wintry breeze was picking up. "Akira, I am well. It is chilly today, isn't it?"

"So it is." Tilting his head, he asked her, "Why are you here, Ren? This room is very drafty…"

"Oh, it just caught my fancy, that's all. Look at all these boxes and knickknacks. We should really have the maids keep these rooms in better condition." Standing up from her chair, she walked over to Akira and gently laid her hand on his shoulder. Sidling up to him, she leaned in and nuzzled her head into his chest. "You still smell the same, Akira. So wonderfully fresh…just like the little boy."

Reigning in the spike in his rage, he licked his dry lips and replied, "The little boy? Did you see him after all?"

"Hm…" She pulled back and stared into his face, tracing with her icy fingers his nose and lips. "You know, he's something like you…but not. His beauty is far more…ethereal. Heh, must be the Nezumi in him. He does have the softest hair I've ever felt on a person."

This time he just couldn't hold himself back as he narrowed his look on her. "Where do you have him, Ren? He's too frail to be taken from his quarters…"

"Ooohh, tell me about it!" she replied dramatically. Waving her hands in the air, she marched back to her seat and sat comfortably down. Still smiling at her guest, she commented, "There I am being as quiet as can be just looking at those two sleeping soundly in his warm bed. Let me tell you, it's not easy holding a male Jyuunishi without him transforming. Luckily though, he's so dead asleep when I carry him at arms length. Poor thing didn't even realize that he wasn't in bed anymore until we were halfway here."

"_Ren, I'm not going to repeat myself,"_ bit out Akira through clenched teeth, his patience all but nonexistent.

She continued without letup, oblivious or uncaring to his state. "Well, the little thing just started to freak out. He started to cough and wheeze and tried pulling himself out of my grasp. So, I had to drop him. After all, it's not good to have them transform in public, ne?"

It really took all of Akira's hard-earned control to not lash out at her at this moment. He knew that this was the way she handled herself and how she manipulates those around her. At the moment, though, he was becoming quickly infuriated since she obviously was aggravating him on purpose.

"Well, that drop shut him up quick. Icy snow and the bitter cold could have also played a role in it, I'm not sure. Anyway, I took hold of his wrist and pulled him along to get here…it's too cold to be out there, you know. I'm sorry to say that he was very uncooperative…very stubborn all the way here, like a mule. Heh, maybe that should have been his sign!" Laughing at her own demented joke, she stretched her arms high above her as she got up once again from her chair. Grabbing at dusty knickknacks and then putting them back down, she sighed tiredly.

"Ah well, I had to drag him up the stairs and into this unlocked room. He practically tore away from grasp and curled up in a corner. Now, I'm usually very understanding, but the boy was being very rude. All I could see was his hair." Looking back at Akira, she stared at his eyes with admiration. "His eyes…the boy's eyes were absolutely captivating. And I only got a glimpse of them when we were outside. Ever since then, he avoided looking at me and never spoke once. I hear from the maids gossiping that the child has an exquisite voice. Could you tell me what it's like? I'm just so curious…"

"**_Ren, where is he?"_** demanded to know Akira. At the bitter tone in his voice, all the cheery demeanor she held vanished as quickly as the steams of breath leaving their noses as they breathed in the cold room.

"All he had to do was say his name. Why is that so hard?" she asked sullenly as she sat down in her chair with a huff. "Honestly, that boy hangs around too much with that daughter of mine…so willful…"

"I don't believe you honestly see her as your daughter, Ren. Now, for the last time, **_what did you do with the boy?_**" In asking her this, he now stood right before her very face, his countenance more than mirroring the anger raging inside him.

She licked her own dry lips, taken aback at how her latest plot truly brought forth the darker side of Akira…the side she knew he kept under strict control. Not used to dealing with this side of him, she nervously replied, "The boy or the Rat? He's both you kno—"

"**I tire of your games today, Ren,"** he eerily replied while tightening his firm hold on her throat. **"Either you tell me this instant where Yuki is, or I swear I'll put you in an outside institution where you'll _never_ see the light of day again."**

Her lip trembling at the nasty turn of events and at his threat that she knew he could very well carry out, she struggled to breathe just a little. However his grip only tightened with each passing second. The cold and bitter glare that he now gave her shook her to the core. And so, she allowed her eyes to tilt to the side to where the window was.

Try as he may, he just couldn't stand to be mocked at and defied any longer. His worry over Akito and near-panic over Yuki's whereabouts finally took their toll on his last shred of sanity. Akira knew that his choke-hold on her throat was an extreme reaction on his part, but, dammit, the woman clearly had no intention of giving up the boy's whereabouts.

When she finally let her stunned gaze drift over to the window, it was all he could do to keep from choking her to death right then and there. Shoving her aside, he rushed to the window, expecting the worst scenario imaginable…that of a dead rat or a small frozen body crumpled in the snow below.

What he saw though was not so terrible, but it wasn't good either. There, outside of the window, was a shingled roof that served as part of the wraparound porch of the building. On this cold-tiled roof lay Yuki, barely clad in his sleeping yukata, trembling terribly in the bitter cold. He did see that the boy was breathing, but noted that he was having a bad asthma attack, his wheezing growing very light as he struggled to breathe.

"**YUKI!"** he cried out anxiously as he very carefully leaned out far enough to reach out to him. One wrong tug or slip and the boy could indeed tumble down to the hard ground below. Grasping the hem of Yuki's sleeve, he breathed in deeply as he gently tried to pull the boy's body towards the window. Praying to every known deity and star, he finally pulled Yuki close enough so that he could reach the boy's wrists and pull him inside.

Once inside, Akira wrapped his arms around the near-frozen body of the young boy. "Yuki…wake up! Open your eyes! Come on, don't sleep right now. I need you to stay awake!"

"Mmmm…" mumbled Yuki groggily as he vainly tried to obey.

"Damn…" The adult wasted no time in discarding his overcoat and loosening his warm robes, exposing warm skin to the bitter winds of winter. Chattering his teeth lightly, he then reached out to the boy's yukata and tugged it off, leaving the poor boy exposed completely to the cold wind save for his undergarments. Now jolted awake, Yuki stared wide-eyed at Akira, trembling dreadfully and teeth chattering loudly.

"Ssh…it's okay, come here," softly remarked Akira, gently urging Yuki into his embrace. Feeling the ice-cold skin of the little boy against his own warm skin, Akira clenched his teeth as he endured the icy feeling through his veins. Gasping lightly, he looked down to the little boy in his arms, making sure to rub his hands up and down Yuki's cold back.

"Wiggle your toes and fingers, Yuki." Just as he reached for his overcoat to cover them both, a blanket was shown to him. He looked up into the eyes of the young teen, Hatori. Nodding his head in thanks, he eagerly took the blanket and wrapped it securely around Yuki's shivering body.

"Akira, I came to help you with Yuki. Is he all right?" asked Hatori anxiously as he looked down on the shivering little boy. "Akito is beside herself with worry, and Kureno is barely able to calm her down."

"Thank you, Hatori. Let us go now to them." Turning his calm face to Ren, who had been busy trying to catch her breath, he noted that the doctor that accompanied Hatori had just sedated her so that it would be easier to transport her back to her confinement.

"Doctor, let us go now. Once we have Yuki stabilized, you can tend to _this_ woman." Coldly glaring at Ren who looked away guiltily, he quietly remarked, "Have her confined this time to that institution we discussed before. A few months should be allowed so that she may reflect on the error of her ways. Perhaps then I will allow her back to the estate."

"**NO! AKIRA, NO!"** screeched Ren in horror. She had a morbid fear of being confined in a mental institution versus a wing at the Sohma estate, and Akira knew this all too well. **"PLEASE, I'M SORRY! PLEASE…I ONLY WANTED TO SEE HIM…MAYBE HEAR HIM SPEAK! IT'S SO RARE TO HAVE THE NEZUMI AMONG US!"**

She was greeted with dead silence on his part as he turned his back on her while walking out of the room. Sneering in his direction, she yelled angrily, **"SHE CAN'T KEEP THEM TO HERSELF FOREVER…NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, AKIRA! 'GOD' AND HER LITTLE ANIMALS WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING IN THIS FAMILY!"**

"That's where you're wrong, Ren," quietly remarked Akira as he paused at the doorway, not bothering to turn around. Embracing the frightened child, Akira looked down on him and smiled. "They will change the course of this family's destiny. And Akito and Yuki will ensure our future. Of this, there is no doubt."

Her incoherent screams were heard throughout the building as Akira rushed out with Hatori and the doctor in tow. Once reaching the clinic, it took him a while to calm Akito down enough so that he could see to the progress being made to heal Yuki. As he was stabilized, he turned to the doctor who was now ready to give him the diagnosis.

It wasn't pretty…Yuki's lungs sounded like they had fluid—a serious cause for alarm. However the doctor was confident that he could treat Yuki fully without any invasive procedures. Besides this, the boy suffered a light case of hypothermia (apparently she didn't leave the boy outside the window for very long) plus a sprained ankle, no doubt from being dropped to the ground by Ren. All in all, it could be better, but it could have been a lot worse.

Akito remained silent in her chair next to Yuki's bed after she ordered the nurse out of the room. She twirled idly a loose thread from her robe, feeling extremely exhausted but not willing to surrender to it no matter how many times Kureno insisted. She had left him outside with Hatori, grateful to be out of their company at the moment.

She felt vacant…void of any life…her feelings numb to what's around her. She absently wondered if Shigure would come by and pay them a visit when her attention came back to the patient who was now mumbling incoherently.

"Yuki, can you hear me?" called out Akito worriedly.

"Hmmm…" It was way too tiring to lift the heavy eyelids, but Yuki pried them open by sheer will. He then noticed that he had a breathing mask in place, ensuring that he was getting plenty of oxygen. He slowly moved his fuzzy gaze to the person sitting next to him, and he could barely make out her eyes and mouth.

"A-Akito?" was his throaty reply while he in vain tried to swallow. Feeling his throat swollen from the inside, he closed his eyes once again, thinking seriously that he may just give up on trying to stay awake.

"Yes…I'm here. Can you feel my hand?" she asked as she clasped her warm hands into his lukewarm hands.

"….M-hm…" Turning to his side, he pried his eyes open once more as he looked at her. "Akito…are you…cold?"

She couldn't hold in her chuckle at such an odd question. She was obviously warmer than he was, and here he was trying to determine if she was cold. It then struck her as to why he had asked. She knew then what he wanted now.

"Hm…a little. Scoot over a bit," she replied happily as she helped pull back the covers. Snuggling close to him without interfering with his facemask, she covered their bodies with the warm blanket, and smiled kindly to him while she stroked his face gently. _'All mine…she can never have you, Yuki. She will _never _have you.'_

"You're so special, Yuki…and you're mine, too," she softly whispered to the slightly awake boy.

Accepting her comment as any innocent child would, he smiled back at her and asked, "Ne, can we eat the peaches now?"

Akira then made his presence known before Akito could reply. "Why don't you two rest first? Then we'll worry about the peaches when you wake up, okay?"

Both smiling widely, Akito and Yuki fell into a deep slumber while Akira looked on. He carefully reached out and tucked the blankets more securely around the two. Mentally he made note to have the doctor look over Akito one more time to be sure she's well. With all that's happened, he didn't want her coming down with another cold.

Yet, his calm demeanor hid his concerns well. With what happened to Yuki, he was starting to realize an ugly pattern that was weaving its way into the family behavior. And it truly scared him. Why?

'_This family seems bent on destroying this relationship…but why? What has them so afraid now that both 'God' and Nezumi are together? What omen could they possibly perceive in this unity between the two? It's a true blessing…and I'm not about to give that up without a fight.'_

—**_TBC—_**


	3. Part III

**Disclaimer:** _My story. Not my characters._

**The Game of Memory  
**_**Part III**_

"Sshh, you must be silent."

"Hai. How much longer do you think it will take?"

"It was so unexpected."

"Such a loss our family will take…"

"Ren-sama has been hysterical…"

"Sedation is best for her."

"That's not what worries me."

"Ah yes…the children."

"How are they coping?"

"The poor dears…"

Such comments went over their heads, especially hers. Akito never once paid them any mind—their sentimentality disgusting her to no end. All she cared about was the one man who was laid out in front of her. Currently he was breathing steadily, but a short while ago he was very much in agony, clutching at his chest as the waves of pain wracked his body. While nurses furiously worked to bring down his pain with several narcotics, Akito looked on, embedding the scene into her mind so as never to forget. It was only a matter of time, she knew, from what she heard the doctor say.

'_The fool. He's supposed to take care of my Tou-sama…he's supposed to make him better…' _She remembered yelling and screaming at the doctor as he looked guiltily away, which only caused her to become even more enraged. Her father finally had to intervene and take her away, softly consoling her as he led them back to their rooms.

Looking out the window in his room, she stared out at the serene atmosphere in the light of day. The trees' soft petals bloomed causing a myriad of colors to be displayed against the bright spring green of the leaves. It was all so perfect, as if the world cared not that her father laid on his deathbed with her incapable of doing anything for him. It was indeed a very hard pill to swallow…

Tucking her father's covers carefully around him, she caressed his face tenderly, imagining that his pale visage was nothing more than a passing illness and not a debilitating one that was ripping him away from her life. She sniffled to herself as she fought once more to hold back her river of tears, not willing to let anyone passing by catch her in her moment of weakness. It was the reason she had ordered anyone daring to care for her father to leave immediately…she was more than capable of doing it herself. And woe to anyone who would insist on taking her away from his side…

'_I'm 'God' of the Jyuunishi…I can't let them see me as anything less. Tou-sama worked too hard to get all of them to take me seriously.'_ Swallowing back her tears, she looked up to his face and was startled to see his steel-blue eyes staring back at her.

"Tou-sama! Are you in pain? Do you need me to get the doctor?" she fired off her questions with worry mirrored in her eyes.

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and swallowed audibly. The pain he had experienced before was more bearable at this point, yet he knew that it was only a matter of moments before another wave of pain would come back at him. He was fairly certain that this time around, no narcotic could help, so he will have to bear it if only to save his daughter from having to see him in such pain.

Smiling softly at her, he opened his glassy eyes and asked, "Where's Yuki? Did he come today?"

Frowning immediately, she turned away from her father. "He was but…he made too much noise. You need your rest, so I told him to stay in his room."

Sighing wearily, he licked his dry lips and admonished her gently. "Akito, he has asthma. You know he's not very strong, especially when he's under much stress. His coughing wouldn't have woken me up."

Bowing her head in shame at having distressed her father in any way, she murmured, "Sumimasen, Tou-sama."

He carefully lifted his arm from under the covers to caress his daughter's soft rounded features on her face. He breathed in deeply, relaxing at smelling her sweet scent. "Precious…my sweet precious. Do you know you're my greatest achievement?"

Shying away from his caresses, she looked down at her clasped hands, unsure of how to feel. "You taught me everything, Tou-sama. I won't let you down…I'll be the best 'God' this family's ever had."

"I'm certain you'll make your mark on this family, Akito. But that's not what I meant." Shifting his covers off his chest, he looked to her with pride in his eyes. "I did teach you to hold your birthright as an honorable privilege. And I ensured that everyone respected that and will continue to do so…long after I'm gone."

The tears burst forth at that comment, and she trembled under the heavy sobs that shook her small body. He quickly reached out to her with both arms extended, which she immediately launched herself into. Gasping in his momentary loss of breath, he tucked her securely under his chin, firmly embracing her as she cried her heart out into his yukata.

"I know, precious, I know it hurts…" he replied while running soothing strokes on her head. Struggling to gather his own turbulent thoughts, he felt his throat tighten painfully at the next words he must say. "I'm…sorry. So very sorry…"

"For what?" she blurted out as she tried sniffling back her tears.

"For this. For bringing you so much pain now…and for when I'm gone." Exhaling heavily, he brought her face up to look into his. Softly running his fingers down her tear-tracks, he murmured quietly, "Will you remember something for me?"

She nodded her head. "H-hai, Tou-sama."

He smiled widely at her then. Inhaling deeply, he licked his lips once more, gazing deeply into her sorrowful eyes. "You have a great responsibility _(cough, cough)_ in keeping them safe…the Jyuunishi I mean. You'll look after them, won't you? They can only be safe with you there…_(cough, cough)_…"

"How, Tou-sama…from what?" questioned the young girl earnestly.

"From whom, my dear…from whom. _(Cough, cough)_ There are many that would try to take advantage of you…of them. _(Cough)_ You must never let anyone come between you and your responsibility of looking after them. _No one_…not even this family. _(Cough, cough, cough)_" Heaving a heavy breath, he shivered as the coughs subsided once more. Swallowing to keep his parched throat hydrated, he went on.

"You must be strong, my precious." Dropping his voice into a low whisper, he remarked, "If they see you waiver on anything you do or decide, there _are_ members in this family that will be more than willing to turn against you. _(Cough)_ No one defies the will of the 'God' of the Jyuunishi…this is what you must instill in those that surround you. Do that and no one will hurt those in your care. This family needs you…they need you…_(cough, cough)_ he needs you…"

She stared at her father forlornly, knowing very well that while the world marched on to its own pace, a little part of it was falling behind…to be left behind. Sniveling a bit, she cried, "Tou-sama! Don't leave me alone!"

Clenching his eyes shut to keep the tears at bay, he gasped slightly, feeling the pain crush his heart, although this time it wasn't because of his illness, but because of the tears of his most precious treasure. Sniffling for a moment to gather his remaining strength, his lips trembled as he pressed on, "My precious Akito. You'll never be alone…never. I would never leave you to you bear this responsibility alone…"

Spontaneous heaving tore through his lungs as he gasped for air. Feeling the body of his young daughter tremble in his embrace as she tightly clutched his yukata, he took in deep breaths to steady his body. As they subsided, he lay back on his pillow, swallowing what was left of his saliva. Pressing his lips firmly, he forced himself to talk to her as he knew he must.

"Precious…you may not see me…anymore…but…you'll have me with you. _(Cough)_ There's a little bit of me within you…right here and here," he pointed out to her chest and to her head. "Keep me there, and you won't ever be alone. _(Cough, cough)_ You'll also have the Jyuunishi with you…to keep you company when I cannot. And you especially have Yuki _(cough, cough, cough) _who will look after you when I cannot…it is his—"

"No, Tou-sama! I want _you_…no one else!" cried out Akito passionately.

"Since we do you cut off your father when he's still speaking, Akito?" asked Akira with a tremulous smile. Seeing Akito divert her defiant eyes elsewhere, he slightly chuckled, not wishing to provoke another attack. "It's okay, precious. Do me a favor, though, and take good care of the little boy. _(Cough)_ He doesn't really have anyone left either…"

She merely nodded as she laid her weary head on his chest, content to hear the smooth rhythm of his heartbeat, coupled with deep-seated coughs. She sighed heavily and wondered how much longer he'll stay awake this time. His conscious state didn't usually last long these days…

"Precious, could you please get me some water? _(Cough, cough)_ I'm afraid this cough is being rather persistent." He kept his smile as she looked up to him, never once giving away what he was about to do.

"Oh…um, okay, Tou-sama. Stay awake until I get back," she softly replied as she stood from his embrace and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

Seeing her shuffle to the doorway, he called out to her, "Akito?"

"Hm?" she turned to him curiously.

It was just a moment really, but aren't those what stick with you for always? Akira certainly believed so as he stared at her at the doorway, the light behind her casting a glow all around her, leaving her face in a shadow. Yes…this moment he will cherish as he bids her farewell.

"Thank you." She smiled tenderly and walked out to complete her task. _'Thank you, Akito, for everything…for allowing me to love something so pure.'_ Closing his eyes, he breathed in unsteadily, wincing every so often at the jabs of pain he was starting to feel in his chest. He wasn't sure if it was from his illness or because of something more, but still, he'll hang on just a bit long for one last request.

He shakily pulled out a small cell-phone he had hidden in his covers. He had taken it when he had ordered the numerous doctors to leave him in his room instead of in a sterile room in the hospital or clinic. He had given one phone just like it to someone he trusted implicitly.

As the phone called the number he dialed, he opened his eyes and stared up into the high ceiling. He barely heard the other line pick up. "Ah yes…Kureno-kun…bring him to me now."

It could have been hours for all Akira knew, but he kept himself in the here and now, refusing to give into the lethargy that plagued his mind heavily. It was almost to an unbearable point until he heard the light steps of the teenager along with the soft shuffling of the little boy that accompanied. He smiled as he was correct when he heard the light coughing that pertained to the little boy.

"Yuki…come here," he called out softly, too weary to turn his head to the doorway. He felt the soft robes of the boy caress his arm. Smiling warmly, he tilted his head just so that he could level his gaze on Yuki.

Looking at him…staring at him…he was mesmerized at such a vision. The light behind certainly cast the same glow behind him as it did to Akito, but his face was not cast in shadow. No, Yuki's face itself glowed…it shined in the darkness that was all around him. And his eyes…his eyes would entrance anyone they came in contact with. How could one turn away from those eyes that felt like a soothing balm on their worst aches and fears? And so he stared…

'_Ethereal…Ren was right about that.'_ He breathed in steadily as he recalled what he wanted to say before… "Yuki, how are you right now?"

Yuki all the while was unconsciously trembling, keeping his coughs to himself and being as silent as possible. He didn't want to be cause for discomfort to his caretaker, so he kept his gaze on Akira's hand, wishing that he had just left with Kureno who had already left. "I'm behaving, Akira. I won't make…any noise…"

He closed his heavy-lidded eyes momentarily and brought his arm up. "I don't mind noise…if you need to cough, it's okay. _(Cough, cough)_ See? I'm coughing, too, so it's fine. Come rest right here with me."

With a small smile, Yuki moved over next to Akira's side and laid right next to him as Akira's arm embraced him closer. Sighing heavily, he replied, "That's better, ne? _(Cough)_ Did you take your medication today?"

"Hai, Akira," replied the boy demurely while listening to the steady beat of the heart that had Akito lulled comfortably.

"Good…take good care of your health, Yuki. It's important to have good health," he remarked wryly as he mused on his own degrading condition. "Yuki…could you do something else for me, too?"

"M-hm…" responded Yuki quietly.

"Look at me, child," requested Akira. The little boy lifted his head and stared at the adult. Holding back his coughs, Akira couldn't help but feel that he should warn this boy of what lay ahead for him. Yet, he could not…would not… Such words will do him no good to hear right now.

"Yuki…I want you to look after Akito. As your birthright, you are to remain by her side…_(cough, cough) _but I want you to look after her because she's important…to you. Not to you, the Nezumi, but to _you_…" Coughing heavily, Akira took calming breaths once again, slightly afraid that it's catching up to him faster and faster.

"Akira?" asked Yuki worriedly.

"Ssh, ssh…it'll be fine," Akira remarked tiredly as he closed his eyes, holding the boy closer to his body, hoping to derive a little bit of his strength 'til the very last drop. Breathing heavily now, he looked down to the large gray-violet eyes that had soothed him so. Smiling, he asked the boy, "Yuki, did you know that some roses bloom in winter while others bloom in spring?"

Yuki was certainly confused at this change in topic. Still, he shook his head no. "Iie. Is that…normal?"

"M-hm…quite. Some seeds stay frozen in the winter, but once the warm weather comes around and the sun hits it just right, you'll seem them bloom beautifully." Letting his smile falter, Akira softly whispered, "Our dear Akito will be this seed…frozen in the winter of her sorrow. I want _you_ to be the sun that has her become the rose she is meant to be. Will you do that for me?"

Blinking in surprise and understanding, Yuki pondered on his words. He then smiled brightly yet sadly to this wonderful man that gave him the most memorable year he'll ever have in his young life.

"Hai! I'll try…try my very best," he stammered in reply.

'_Such warmth…his own light… _(Cough, cough)_ It's so pure…untainted.' _At this, he felt his heart clench tightly and his throat constrict painfully…and this wasn't due to the illness either. He immediately hugged the little boy to his side, knowing full well what is to occur in the months and years ahead.

'_This family carries such poison…and there are those that will draw it out on this little boy if only to suffocate his light. _(Cough)_ Please NO…spare this child. Please…_(cough, cough, cough)_…let his light shine through. Let him bring her to bloom…let him give our family a future worth living…'_

As tears fell down softly to Yuki's hair, he deeply breathed in the smell of fresh winter morning that was uniquely Yuki's scent. _'A winter morning that never freezes over…' _Akira mumbled, "Thank you. And…I'm…so-rry…"

Yuki coughed lightly, not sure why Akira said that last part, but shrugged it off. He hugged his most adored adult and softly smiled in contentment, knowing that this shared moment will be kept to heart always.

'_I'm sorry…I'm so sorry for the pain you'll go through…please…forgive…me…' _And with that last thought and the images of Akito's angelic face shadowed with a glow behind her and that of Yuki's luminous face with the eyes that cut through the pitch black of sordid thoughts, Akira let go…a hopeful smile gracing his face.

As a child, the mortality of humanity makes very little sense. For one whose life just begun, seeing the life of another end before their eyes is cause for confusion. Thus Yuki remained in Akira's fading warmth of his embrace, curious to know why he no longer heard the steady rhythm of a heartbeat. Lifting his head slightly, Yuki saw Akira's eyes closed with not so much as a flutter of the eyelashes even being made.

'_He's so…still…silent.'_ Yuki certainly didn't wish to make a commotion, lest he disturb the man of his rest. It was at that point that he heard a loud clatter behind him, startling him from his musings.

"Tou…Tou-sama…" called out Akito quietly, letting the tea cup she brought clatter on the floor. "Tou-sama?"

"Akito…he's asleep," replied Yuki innocently. Turning his large, curious eyes to her own wide eyes, he whispered softly, "He was very tired…he should rest now."

His words only drew daggers across her wretched soul as she launched herself onto her father's still form. Shaking his shoulders and beating against his chest with her small fists, she cried out brokenly, **_"TOU-SAMA! TOU-SAMA! COME BACK! COME BACK TO ME! TOU-SAMA!"_**

Thoroughly frightened of her actions, Yuki scrambled away and remained sitting next to Akira's head, unsure of what to do. Feeling confused and, for some reason, very broken inside, he coughed heavily, realizing then that his chest was constricting painfully. Trying to hold them in, he looked to the unmoving body of Akira, and soothed the man's forehead with his small hand.

"Akira…_(cough, cough)_…Akira…my chest…it hurts…_(cough, cough, cough)_. Please…_(cough, cough)_…wake up," he called out between his heavy coughing, grimacing every so often as the vise in his chest tightened its hold over his breathing.

"**SHUT UP! JUST _SHUT UP_! HE'S DEAD…_DEAD_!"** screamed Akito to the pained boy's face. She reached out and jerked his face forward by grabbing harshly onto the side of his head, his soft hair being pulled out from its roots by the sheer force of it. **"WHY WERE YOU HERE? I TOLD YOU TO STAY IN YOUR ROOM, YOU _RAT_! WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL FOR SOMEONE WHEN HE WAS DYING! _WHY!_"**

"He…he…_(cough, cough, cough)_…ne-never said to. _(Cough) _He was coughing…like me," he quivered in response to her rage, tears streaming down his round cheeks. "He was awake just n-now _(cough, cough)_ before you came. He was awake…OW!"

Clenching her hand tighter around his hair, she shook his head to quiet him. Angry and tormented tears cascading down her own cheeks, oblivious to how much pain she was causing her smaller companion. **"BE QUIET! HE WAS FINE…_FINE_ WHEN I LEFT HIM! _HE WAS ALIVE!_"**

"Akito, what's the matter!" cried out Kureno who was close by in another part of the building. Screams and shouts were heard from Akira's room and so he sped off as fast he could to check on them, his heart sinking ever lower knowing full well the only reason there was much sorrow laced in the angry screeches.

Hearing another in the room, Akito looked at the grimacing face of the boy in her hand before she shoved his head down furiously to the side, leaving the boy curled up as he grasped his head and chest. She stood up and spun around to face the new individual in the room with endless grief deeply-rooted in her eyes.

"**_Get out,"_** she bit out through clenched teeth, her hands fisted tightly onto her robes. She was breathing heavily, as she helplessly looked around her, vainly searching for a way out of her hell, a way out of the dark walls that were slowly closing in on her, taking her father far away from her grasp.

Taking her hands now into her hair, she pulled hard on her own hair, vainly trying to hold in her screams of pain that were overriding every sense of sanity she had. Looking back up, she saw Kureno still standing there uneasily. With a well-placed snarl, she lashed out and slapped him hard.

"**GET OUT! I SAID TO GET OUT!"** she screeched to the teen's startled face.

"Akira…_(cough, cough, cough)_…I can't…_(wheezing)_…breathe… Akira…" was Yuki's small trembling voice that softly echoed in the dead silence after her shouts.

As much as it hurt to take those slaps, Kureno had mentally sworn to Akira that he would look after these two when the kind man couldn't. Bracing himself for another rebuke, he quietly remarked, "I will leave you, Akito. But please…let me take Yuki with me. Please…"

"**SILENCE!"** she screamed along with another smack. **"GET OUT OF HERE! DO NOT DEFY ME…_EVER_! I AM YOUR _GOD_, AND THIS DAMN FAMILY WILL _OBEY_, INCLUDING YOU! GET OUT AND GET EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS DAMN HOUSE OUT OF MY SIGHT! IF I SO MUCH AS HEAR A WHISPER STILL AROUND AFTER FIVE MINUTES, I _WILL_ BRING _HELL_ ON THIS FAMILY! NOW GET OUT, _GET OUT OF HERE_!"**

With an apologetic look to Yuki, Kureno ran out and quickly called out to all the adults and passed the terrible news along with the orders from Akito. Many tried to go back, but there were those that firmly believed in their 'God's' right to order this family as was necessary. With much deliberation and commotion, the entire estate was in an uproar as they were ordered off the estate, not knowing for how long the wrath of 'God' would hold when faced with such a terrible loss.

Amongst the growing crowd were members of the Jyuunishi along with their families. The adults of the families knew what had transpired and weren't sure on how to break the news exactly to the younger ones. What did catch their attention then was the absence of two of Jyuunishi; the third one from their cliché was away at an after-school crafts club.

"Shigure, stop dawdling, and let's go!" hissed Hatori as he tried pulling Shigure along towards the gates. "You heard what they said…Akito's orders were to have everyone off the estate right now. You'll get us in a lot of trouble!"

"Just one minute, Haa-san," countered Shigure as he pulled back his sore arm. "Let's just see if we get a chance to see them. Just a look."

Growling with irritation, Hatori followed the over-eager Inu of the Jyuunishi, certain that he was incapable of sating the curiosity of this dog. "Fine! Just one look and that's it, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Shigure waved off his comment as he hid behind some bushes in the gardens near Akira's home. It didn't take long for him to see what he's been waiting for, and it was more than he could hope for.

The collapse of a sacred relationship…it was too awe-inspiring for mere words to describe.

"Why are you smiling like a dolt? Are you actually laughing!" asked Hatori incredulously as he stared at his best friend's wide grin. It made him sick to see that, and so he looked away to see what unfolded before them. Their screams…heart wrenching screams…would forever echo in his mind and soul…

"**GET UP, YOU STUPID RAT! GET UP! GET UP! _GET UP!_" **she screamed into his ear as she dragged him along the walkways by the solid grip on his hair once again. **"YOU GOT THIS FAR BEFORE, _SO START WALKING_!"**

Being dragged away from the comfort of Akira's presence by the clutches of this shadow of what was once his best friend, Yuki sobbed and wailed furiously; desperately trying to understand what had happened to the family he just had just moments before. His vision was constantly blurred as the tears continued to flow, and his chest was agonizingly letting him know that he urgently needed his medication. Falling down several times only to be hauled up painfully by his hair, kept his mouth shut, his teeth clenched to hold back the agony of his cries.

Akito finally reached her destination after much struggling with the boy. Her father never knew that she knew about this place. She didn't wish to worry him about some of the things she had heard about the fate of the Cat, but now, it didn't matter anymore. And now she could see what power this house held over the most infamous of the Jyuunishi circle.

"**GET IN THERE!"** she yelled while throwing the boy with all her strength into the small, dark room.

Falling onto his skinned-knees, Yuki picked himself up off the dusty floor. Trembling terribly at the shock his body was now going through, he clutched his chest tightly, wincing with barely contained wails as he was sure that she would become angry with him once more if he let them loose.

"Akito…please. I'll be quiet. I promise…" he whispered tremulously while trying to bring air into his lungs, which unfortunately was laced with very old dust and grime. He immediately started coughing furiously, and with each deep breath he took, the more severe his coughing.

"**SHUT UP, DAMN NEZUMI! _SHUT UP!_"** she screeched in her rage as she slammed the door in the boy's face. She fell to her knees outside, as she screamed loudly, clutching her hair tightly while her tears ceased to end.

"**_TOU-SAMA! TOU-SAMA! TOU-SAMA!"_** she wailed as she finally let her sorrow give way, wracking her small body with heaves and sobs that would never end so long as she remembered…

"**I'm sorry! I'M SORRY! PLEASE, AKITO…AKIRA…_PLEASE_…_I'M SO SORRY!_" **cried Yuki brokenly as he felt the last of his gathering strength give way as fell to his own knees, his arms clutched around his middle. Coughing heavily from the pit of his gut, he breathed deeply in, only to repeat the painful cough.

"**DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! LET ME OUT! I'M…I'M AFRAID OF THE…DARK! I'M AFRAID, AKITO, _I'M AFRAID_! _PLEASE AKITO!_" **Sobs and dry heaves tormented his frail body and lungs…neither ceasing its assault. **"IT HURTS…IT HURTS SO MUCH! HELP ME! HELP ME, AKITO! _HELP ME!_ **_(Cough)_** _AAAKKIIIIIRRRAAAA!_ PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE…DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE…AKIRA…AKITO! PLEASE...PLEASE…_PLEASE…_"**

_**- o – o – o – o - **_

_(Gulp)_ "Do you have anymore of this stuff?" asked Hatori while shoving back his cup to the writer who was perusing his research work.

"My, that went fast. I shouldn't be surprised…it's a good year!" Shigure happily replied while grabbing the sake bottle and refilling his friend's cup with gusto. "Now, take it easy on these…these babies will knock you out cold if you're not careful."

_(Gulp)_ "Is there ever a moment in your life that you won't regret? Because I assure you that I will cause irreparable harm to your more treasured assets on your next physical," replied the doctor as he eerily glared at his old friend.

"EH! My bad…I will say no more," hurriedly commented Shigure as he quickly just gave the bottle to Hatori. "Here…take the whole thing if you want. I try not to indulge on it too much. I am the adult in this house, you know. Someone must set an example."

"Please don't bother," quipped Hatori while pouring another cup for himself. _'His example can only lead one into ruin.'_

"Mou…how cruel! And I was being quiet the whole time you sat there and stared at the same page for the last two hours." Shigure pouted some more before he relented with a sigh. Stretching his arms wide, he reached to get a cup of his own from the tray he brought earlier. "Come on, pour me some, too. Can't have you finishing the bottle up by yourself, now can I?"

"I wasn't going to finish the bottle," grumbled Hatori while he poured carefully into Shigure's cup.

"Did you drown them out?" asked Shigure abruptly as he leveled an all-knowing gaze on his friend.

Glancing at him for a moment, Hatori breathed in heavily, staring out at the garden around him. Did he drown them out? The wails…the screams…the cries…the pain…

"No…I never could, and I suppose I never will," remarked Hatori matter-of-factly while downing the cup of sake. Finally feeling the effects relax his tense shoulders, he sighed heavily while slouching his shoulders. "And you?"

Sipping his sake more slowly (he really wasn't one to hold his liquor unlike his friend), Shigure smiled tiredly, "Eh…well… I guess it really wasn't such a bright idea of mine to stick around back then. _(Sigh) _Ah well, like I said, youth begets stupidity. And I was indeed very stupid."

"Hold on." Hatori filled his cup yet once again, and then took out a small dictation-recorder and pressed some buttons. "Now, repeat what you just said."

"Are you recording me for blackmail! Haa-san, I never thought you capable of it!" cried out Shigure with shock.

"**HEY! WE'RE HOME! DAMN DOG, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!"**

"Kyo-kun…he may be busy…"

"Ah, the melodious voice of Kyo-kun and Tohru-kun! Guess we'll have to wrap this up for next time, Haa-san!" gleefully replied Shigure at being saved from repeating himself.

Arching his brow high, Hatori eyed Shigure knowingly before turning off his recorder. Grabbing his cup, he was about to drink it when he felt a palm restrain him.

"Now, Haa-san, no need to rush. Let us conclude this day on an honorable note." Seeing Hatori's questioning gaze, he smiled to him as he lifted his cup in the air. "A toast…to a good man. A good man who's greatest crime was to love this cursed family."

With a reproving stare, Hatori added, "To a good man who didn't give up on his family."

"Now that's what I meant to say, Haa-san," heartily agreed the Inu as he chugged down his sake. Lightly flushed, he grinned widely at his companion who downed his drink as well. "Wow, Haa-san, no one can match you shot for shot!"

"What the hell are you doin' out here! _(Sniff, sniff)_ Ugh, are you _DRUNK_?" exclaimed Kyo, outraged that the writer would be in such a state with Tohru home.

"Hey, hey, lay off the yelling! My ears…my head…by mottle…uh, I mean my bottle! Give 'er 'ere, Haa-san," slurred in reply Shigure while unsteadily trying to stand.

Hatori quickly stood up, unaffected by the liquor he drank. Grabbing the bottle of sake, he placed it on the tray set along with the cups and ignored the pleas of one drunk dog. Yep, it's a fact well known to the Mabudachi Trio…Shigure can't hold his liquor.

"Kyo, don't waste your time with Shigure. Why don't you help Honda-kun with her purchases? I've already ordered in dinner," remarked Hatori to the outraged teen.

"Aw, come 'ere, ya big kitty-witty," mumbled Shigure giddily as he embraced Kyo from behind.

"**GET OFF ME, YA DRUNK FOOL!"** screamed Kyo while vainly prying Shigure from his person. **"HATORI! GET HIM OFF OR I'LL RIP HIM OFF!"**

Ignoring the loud commotion outside, Hatori laid the tray set carefully on the counter, putting up the sake in the cabinet for another time, and taking the cups over to the sink to wash them. Just as he turned the faucet on, Tohru came bustling in from upstairs.

"Oh, please allow me, Hatori-san! I can do that," replied Tohru happily as she fastened her trademark apron to take charge of her kitchen once again. "Oh, and thank you, by the way, for ordering in dinner. You are too kind."

"I am pleased to help, Honda-kun. I hope you enjoyed your day with your friends at the museum." While listening to her, he watched the Cat and Dog have at it with each other from the kitchen window. _'Hm…I think I better save Shigure soon, or I'll have him as my patient come tomorrow.'_

"Oh yes, it was wonderful. I highly recommend that you see it. Just be sure to see it when there's not such a crowd…oh and be sure to take good walking shoes. Hehe, Kyo-kun was already exhausted after the first hour and Hatsuharu-kun kept betting him that he would outlast him by the end of the day…so he and Kyo-kun were running up and down the stairs and through the exhibit halls so much that security was called." She grimaced at the memory, recalling vividly the angry glares of the security office and museum personnel. Shrugging it off, she continued in her tale, "Momiji-kun was able to placate them with one of his stories, and we were even given a free meal pass to their restaurant. It was wonderful!"

Seeing the small smile of the doctor, she knew that he had listened to her speak, but she also felt that he had a lot on his mind. She had seen the bottle of sake being used today, a rare occurrence since she hardly saw that bottle out of the cabinet. Watching Shigure teetering everywhere and hanging all over Kyo, she could see why he never indulged in the liquor.

'_Was it because of who they were toasting this to? I didn't mean to overhear them, but…they did say that he loved their family and never gave up on them. He sounds like someone very cherished…'_ As she finished her wash of the dishes, she turned to Hatori and hesitantly remarked, "Ano…Hatori-san. Eh…I had not meant to overhear…what you were both saying earlier… He sounded like…such a good man."

Hatori turned to her when she had spoken again, confused at first, but then he realized who she was talking about. Softly smiling, he looked back out the window, realizing then that Kyo was dragging Shigure all over the garden. _'Shigure can be clingy when he wants…'_

"Yes, he was," was his final reply to Tohru's comment. He looked at her over his shoulder while he continued, "But he who knows him best is Yuki. He got to see a side of the man that only one other got to see. Someday…maybe…he'll let you know some more about him."

She smiled at that, hopeful that she'll get to know more about the family and their history.

'_Just maybe he'll share the memory of Akira with her…'_ trailed Hatori's thought as he gazed at the darkening horizon through the trees. _'Hopefully…they were such good memories.'_

—_**ooo—**_

Warmth. Soft caresses across his hair…his skin. The fresh spring air clung to his lungs and soothed the weariness in his soul. He shifted comfortably on the soft ground beneath him, vaguely aware of the twittering of birds overhead.

'_Birds? Why would they be in my room?'_ Prying one eye open, he confirmed that birds are not in his room. In fact, he wasn't in his room, but outside under a grove of trees, the late afternoon sun shining through them.

"I see you decided to grace me with your attention. That was such a nap you took…right in the middle of our game," pointed out Akito who came into his line of sight. Settling back a little next to his head, she gestured towards the deck of old playing cards that were strewn in a pattern. "It's still your turn, you know. The day does march on, and Kureno is bringing our dinner soon…"

Stifling a yawn, Yuki sat up and slightly winced at the crack in his bones when he stretched. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he now remembered that he was waiting on her to make her move in this old memory game they were playing. Feeling very tired from the night before, he swore that he'd only close his eyes momentarily when they felt like heavy lead. He certainly didn't plan on sleeping in the middle of the game. It was a wonder that Akito hadn't jerked him awake or even rebuked him harshly for falling asleep like he did.

'_But wasn't I sitting and leaning my head against my drawn-up knees? I was pretty sure I was…I don't remember lying down. That'd be way too obvious.'_ Sighing tiredly, he looked at the cards before him and picked a random pair. Not surprised that he chose incorrectly, he placed them back face down. He chanced a glance at Akito to see if she was holding back her anger or any cutting remark, but detected nothing of the sort. She was in fact enjoying herself, as much as she would allow herself to.

"Hah! I'm so close to winning this one. You really need to try harder, Yuki," she replied serenely as she took up another pair to add to her collection.

He began to mentally make his choice before it suddenly occurred to him that he had a red rose next to his hand. He picked it up carefully to avoid the thorns and brought it up to his face to breathe it in. _'The smell of a rose is always the same but never tiring.'_

"A red rose…for purity," she replied abruptly. Leveling her commanding gaze on him, she added, "Red is a good color on you, did you know that?"

Shaking his head no, he looked back to the flower in his hand and smelled it some more. Softly smiling, he placed it down while he chose his next two cards, thankful that he finally came up with a good pair. He waited on her now to make her move while he fingered his rose gently.

She was intent on winning this round, but her mind was elsewhere as well. As Yuki slept on, she had the urge to snap at him for falling asleep while being with her. Yet today of all days had her mind stretched in all different directions. She just couldn't bring herself to do that to him, and so she opted to just simply stare at him for the next three hours.

She would never admit it to him or anyone else for that matter that she had guided him to sleep by laying down next to her. He was too far gone to even notice the difference so there was little risk of discovery on his part. He laid there oblivious to the world around him while she softly stroked his soft hair, allowing her memories wash over her like they always did on this day. Not that she'd ever say a word of it to anyone…that is anyone except…

"You drool a little like Tou-sama did," she blurted out while choosing her matching pair successfully.

Jerking his face up, he flushed a bright pink at that rather embarrassing observation on her part. "Oh? Hm…I suppose there's a little of Akira in all of us, ne?"

It was her turn now to look taken aback at the innocent remark he made, although he didn't catch her reaction as he chose his pair, unsuccessfully this time around. She couldn't help but recall the last few words her father shared with her…

'…_**you'll have me with you… There's a little bit of me within you…'**_

'_I don't believe I carry much of you with me anymore, Tou-sama.'_ She stared at Yuki picking his rose up by the stem, observing how his smile tilted slightly to the side, much like her father's did. _'Perhaps this is why I always keep Yuki close to me on this day when I wish to remember you the most. To always have a little bit of you near me…'_

"You both have the same taste in flowers, Akito." With the sudden remark, Yuki looked towards her startled eyes with a small smile. "He told me about roses, and here, you picked one. So…a little bit of Akira stays with us. He would be happy…"

Akito took in his comments without a reply of her own. She gazed down at her old deck of cards that Akira had left behind, the once bright-colored Zodiac animals fading over the years. And she gave more thought on his remark. Yes, tomorrow will be another day of struggling to live in the Sohma household…another day to thwart vengeful people that hide under the guise of loving family members…another day to tolerate those that dare to threaten her ties with the Jyuunishi.

Yet for today…for once…she was sure of what he said.

"Yes…he would be happy," she finally remarked quietly while caressing her cards delicately. "If only for today…he would be."

'_Yes, he would,'_ agreed Yuki while staring at her wistful gaze towards her cards. _'And with a little more sunshine, just maybe the winter in her heart will bloom to the rose he desperately wanted her to become.'_

Looking to the sky high above him that was streaked violet with the setting sun, he smiled with great hope in his heart.

'_A rose in bloom…I have faith in seeing this. And with a game of memory, I might see this soon.'_

—_**Owari—**_

**_

* * *

_****_  
Author's Cookies of Wisdom (11-21-05):_**

_Phew! One week worth's of work in these three chapters. Originally one very long chapter, but then I split it up. I'm too kind!_

_Hehe, anyway…welcome to my multi-part one-shot. I only meant to do this as a challenge to my senses…mainly the ones that concern wild theories of my own and others. I brainstormed with Ina-chan on some and with Miya-chan on others on these conjectures and wild theories. And so, here is my interpretation of it all…down to the nitty gritty (big hugs to Ina & Miya for being my inspiration!)._

_Angst galore in this release! Hopefully for some SOS readers, this will tie you over to the next chapter release of SOS. Not much, but something! I'll come back to that fic in December…yep, you read that right!_

_Now, I was aiming for character portrayal on Akira and Ren. Not much Ren here, but it's more than what the manga shows. Story details are not in par with the manga of course (which fanfic really follows it anyway, right?), but I really tried to grasp the persona of both Akira and Ren along with Yuki and Akito way back when in the old days._

_I wonder how my readers will react with the sequences between Akito and Yuki…I pictured the two being too adorable! I vaguely remember seeing raw scans of their younger years…I hope I did them justice! As for Akira…that's a tough one. Let me know what you guys think._

_Oh, I had used the song 'The Rose' by Bette Midler as my inspiration towards the end of the fic. I liked the song very much, and I felt it described the situation with Akito pretty well. It's a song of hope, and even though the family is anything but hopeful, I wanted to portray Akira as being that one guy that wouldn't give up on his family. And since he couldn't do this anymore, he passed the task on to Yuki. Eh…that's my interpretation anyway._

_In a way, this fic does support the SOS storyline. It also stands by itself, so anyone can read the fic and walk away without having to read SOS…although I highly recommend my fic! Shameless advertising here…sorry!_

_Please my dear readers…I left you with this big treat of three chapters completed in one week. There's bound to be details you'd like me to correct, or you may have comments that you'd wish to bless me with._

_So, please, pass your beautiful words down to me! I'll read them with gusto! 'Til next time!_


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